Nearshore, shallow water ecosystems are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. Because most people live in coastal areas, human impacts on marine ecosystems are also focused in nearshore areas. We seek to understand how nearshore ecosystems function, focusing on fish and macro-invertebrate communities. Our studies include long-term monitoring of populations and communities, experiments that explore ecosystem processes and analyses of the impacts of human activities on habitats, species and communities.

Spanning more than three decades, our long-term research into the ecology of Nearshore Ecosystems describes the population dynamics and community structure of fish and invertebrates. This research tracks seasonal, annual and decadal variation in species composition and abundance of fish and macroinvertebrates and investigates interactions between them. In the Rhode River, Maryland, our long-term and experimental studies provide unique opportunities for investigating estuarine population dynamics and community structure in Chesapeake Bay. The Tannenbaum Marine Observatory Network and Marine Global Earth Oberservatories (MarineGEO) connect our Rhode River studies with a diverse network of nearshore research sites around the world.

There are five main components to our Rhode River long-term studies:

Fish and Crustaceans of a Tributary Creek 
More than 99 species of fish and blue crabs use Muddy Creek (a small tidal tributary of the Rhode River) for seasonal reproduction, nursery habitat, molting refuge, and year-round residence. At weekly intervals since 1983, we have utilized a permanent fish weir to sample the abundance and species composition of all fish and crabs moving up and down the creek. click here to learn more>> 

 

Epibenthic Fish and Crabs 
Epibenthic fish and crabs (including Blue Crabs, Norfolk Spot, Croaker, White Perch and various flat fish) comprise the dominant predators on benthic communities. We sample epibenthic fish and Blue Crabs using triplicate otter trawls at 4 stations arrayed along the axis of the Rhode River. The lab has been collecting this data since 1981. 
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Infaunal Benthic Invertebrate Community
Infaunal macroinvertebrates are dominated by deposit feeders and small suspension feeders that process the particles at the sediment-water interface. These species undergo large seasonal fluctuations with spring and fall recruitment and high summer mortality from fish and crab predation. We have sampled community dynamics with cores at 5 stations along the axis of the Rhode River since 1979. Diversity is low with about 20 common species and a total of about 85 species, but secondary production is high, forming a major link between benthic and pelagic habitats. Infaunal macroinvertebrates are the major food resource for epibenthic fish and crabs. click here to learn more>>
 

Nearshore Community of Fish and Crustaceans 
Juvenile fish and crustaceans utilize the nearshore shallow fringe of Chesapeake Bay as a nursery habitat and refuge from large predatory fish and adult blue crabs. Since 1981, we have sampled the summertime abundance and species composition of nearshore communities using seines pulled at 13 stations arrayed. click here to learn more>>

Predator-Prey Interactions 
Predator-prey interactions are a key driver of population and community dynamics in nearshore ecosystems. Since 1989, we have conducted tethering experiments with juvenile Blue Crabs, grass shrimp, and Killifish to evaluate seasonal and interannual variation in predation rates.  click here to learn more>>